Useful telephone numbers in Germany

How to properly call 112

German dispatchers are trained to lead the conversation themselves, so the main rule is not to hang up and to answer the questions. Emergency services’ leaflets describe the procedure in five points:

1. Where? — where it happened. Exact address: street, house number, floor, city. If you are on a motorway — motorway number, direction and nearest kilometre post or emergency telephone (Notrufsäule).
2. What? — What happened? In one phrase: crash, fire, unconscious person.
3. How many? — how many people are injured.
4. Which? — what injuries or symptoms.
5. Wait! — wait for the dispatcher’s questions and do not hang up first.

If you do not speak German, say immediately: “Ich spreche kein Deutsch” and name your language. Control will connect an interpreter — but you will still have to give the address, so it is worth learning your home and work addresses by heart.

A hoax call is expensive. For a knowingly false call to emergency services, the costs of the call-out are recovered, and under Section 145 of the German Criminal Code (StGB), a fine or imprisonment of up to one year is provided for. At the same time, a bona fide mistake — when you called for help and the alarm turned out to be false — is not punished: it is better to call than not to call.

Frequently asked questions

110 or 112 — which number should I call?

110 — police: crime, fight, theft, traffic collision involving other vehicles, threat from a person. 112 — fire service and ambulance: fire, injury, loss of consciousness, chest pain, poisoning. If in doubt, call 112: the dispatcher will transfer you to the police themselves if necessary. A knowingly false call to emergency services carries a fine, and in serious cases, criminal liability.

Does 112 work without a SIM card?

No. That is a common misconception: in Germany, calling emergency services from a mobile phone without an active SIM card is prohibited under the emergency call regulations. The phone must have a working SIM, but there does not need to be any credit on the account—the call is free. Roaming is also not an obstacle: 112 works with a foreign SIM card.

What should I do if my German is poor?

State right at the beginning of the conversation: “Ich spreche kein Deutsch” and name your language, for example “Ich spreche Russisch” or “Do you speak English?”. Dispatch centres 110 and 112 will connect an interpreter. Make sure to state the address — it is best to memorise it or keep it written down. It is easier to spell out your surname and street letter by letter: how this is done in Germany is discussed in a separate article on the telephone alphabet.

Are all of these calls free?

No. The numbers 110, 112, 116-117 and all short 116-xxx numbers are free, as are lines starting with 0800. A call to 115 is charged as a standard local call. Numbers starting with 030, 0228 and similar are standard landline numbers, and they are charged according to your tariff. The 01806 line costs €0.20 per call in total, rather than per minute.

A doctor is needed at night, but it’s not an emergency — who should I call?

Call 116 117. The service operates 24/7: it will tell you the nearest out-of-hours surgery (Bereitschaftspraxis), and arrange a home visit by a doctor if necessary. There is no need to call an ambulance (112) in such cases.

I’ve lost my wallet with cards and documents — where do I start?

First call 116 116 and block your bank cards, SIM card and electronic ID function (eID). Then file a report with the police — the crime reference will be useful for the bank and insurance company. And only then see about reissuing your documents: without blocking them, the risk of financial loss remains yours.

Where did people use to call in Ukrainian and Russian: Helpline Ukraine?

This line (0800-500-225-0) ceased operation on 1 July 2026. Up-to-date information for refugees from Ukraine has been compiled on the official portal germany4ukraine.de. Psychological support in Russian is available 24/7 from Telefon Doweria — the number is indicated above.

What else to read on finber.de

• German spelling alphabet — how to spell out a surname, street and contract number letter by letter so they understand you the first time
• Sick leave in Germany — how to get signed off sick, who notifies the employer and by when, sick note by telephone and caring for a sick child
• Credit cards in Germany — what types exist, how they differ from an EC card (German debit card), and what to do if lost
• Document retention periods — which papers must not be thrown away and for how many years to keep them
• Everything about cars in Germany — purchase, registration, insurance and actions in the event of a road traffic collision

Sources

All numbers and opening hours were checked against the official websites of services and departments on 19/08/2026:

• Bundesnetzagentur — unified emergency numbers 110 and 112, how to call from a mobile phone
• Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians) — 116117.de, on-call medical service opening hours
• TelefonSeelsorge Deutschland — telefonseelsorge.de
• BAFzA (Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions) — “Hilfetelefon Schwangere in Not” (helpline for pregnant women in need) and “Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen” (hilfetelefon.de)
• Nummer gegen Kummer e. V. — Kinder- und Jugendtelefon (child and youth helpline), Elterntelefon, announcement regarding the closure of the Helpline Ukraine from 01.07.2026
• Giftnotruf der Charité and BfR (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) — list of poisons information centres in Germany
• sperr-notruf.de and Bundesverwaltungsamt (Federal Office of Administration) — services covered by 116 116
• 115.de — operating hours and coverage of the unified agency number
• Stiftung Unabhängige Patientenberatung Deutschland — patientenberatung.de
• Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Federal Ministry of Health) — Bürgertelefon (citizens’ helpline) and Gebärdentelefon
• Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy) — active advisory lines for business
• Weisser Ring, Initiative Vermisste Kinder, Silbernetz, Deutsche Depressionshilfe, BIÖG, N.I.N.A. e. V., Männerhilfetelefon, MuTeS, VDD, Diakonisches Werk Berlin-Brandenburg

Service numbers and their opening hours are subject to change. If you spot an inaccuracy or know of a helpline that is missing here, please let us know so we can update the list.